Player Profile: Sasha Wilkins

Role model, leader, and force on the court, Memorial’s women’s volleyball team looks to the AUS all-star in every set

By Samantha Smith

An injury may have kept Sasha Wilkins from taking to the floor last weekend in New Brunswick as Memorial’s v-ballers took on St. Mary’s University in a two-game series, but the #12 Power was as much a presence as ever for the Sea-Hawks.

A 5’9 graduate of Smallwood Academy in her hometown of Gambo, Newfoundland, Sasha has been involved in volleyball for 10 years.

Almost the instant after she laced up her sneakers and put on her first set of knee pads, Wilkins has been a driving and dominating force during her volleyball career.

She played in the National Team Challenge Cup (NTCC) tournament for two summers, and was a member of the 2005 Canada Games team that travelled to Saskatoon and trained in Cuba for one week with the Cuban Junior National team.

She went on to play with the U21 Atlantic Canada Team in 2008 and was invited to stay for the Team Canada camp.

When it came to playing for Memorial, it took some convincing from Head Coach Melissa Oates to get her to finally decide to don the red and white of the Sea-Hawks.

“I actually wasn’t going to come play for MUN at first. But, during the August month at Canada Games, our former coach, Melissa Oates, convinced me to come and play for her. I’ve played four seasons – this year being my fourth – and completely enjoyed them,” said Wilkins.

This season, her team isn’t faring as well as she would like, mostly as a result of illness adding insult to injury.

“We’re having a rough year. We haven’t gotten any lucky breaks. It seems like it’s just one thing after another – from five of us getting H1N1, to injuries. We can still make the playoffs but we have to play our best the next three weekends to make that possible.”

For Sasha herself, “This year has been a little rougher than my past years as a Sea-Hawk….and I even sat out my second year with an ankle injury.”

Aside from volleyball, Sasha loves to do anything involving the outdoors.

She’s doing a pure math degree and is still uncertain about her future after graduating.

“That question is still up in the air,” said Wilkins. “I’ve applied to Education so I may teach, but I want to travel and see the world. Maybe I’ll teach away somewhere!”

But the volleyball net is never far from her mind. “I’d love to play professionally overseas,” Wilkins said of her ultimate goal for her sport of choice.

For now, “every year I have a goal to play a better season than the last one. I feel I played my best last year!” she added.

She’s certainly accomplished that, with an impressive track record as AUS Rookie of the Year (05-06), CIS All-Canadian Rookie Team (05-06), AUS first Team All-Star (07-08) and AUS second Team All-Star last season (08-09).

Sasha Wilkins’ days as a Sea-Hawk are coming to a close, either this season or the next. She has another year of eligibility but is undecided on whether or not she will return to the team.

If not, she will be missed, but if she does return, she’ll once again be a role model to the other women on the team.

“Off the court, I’m not overly vocal; I’m a very shy person,” Wilkins said of herself. “It takes people a while to get to know me. I don’t really open up very quickly. But once I step on the court, I am a totally different person. I’m very intense, loud, competitive, and aggressive. I come play.”

So, what advice does she give the younger, less experienced girls who play for Memorial? “Just come to play. Simple as that.”

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